Method for production of bio-stimulant, fertilizer, soil conditioner and wind soil erosion suppressant from the vegetative polysaccharides and their compounds

ABSTRACT

A method of treating vegetative saccharides and their compounds to provide hydrolysates suitable for use as bio-stimulants, fertilizers, soil conditioners and wind soil erosion suppressants. The method comprises the step of treating the vegetative saccharides and their compounds, in series, in acid and alkali environments at temperature higher than ambient with the forced extraction of the toxins for soil and with cooking product mixing. 
     The produced product contains humins, humic, levulinic, saccharinic and aldonic acid salts which are effective bio-stumulants and fertilizers for plant growth. Their hydroscopic properties provide (as soil conditioner) the increased water sorption of soil. Saccharinic acid salts binding properties provide forming soil particles together protecting soil against wind erosion.

BACKGROUND

The saccharides (or carbohydrates) are divided into four chemical groupings: polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and monosaccharides. Polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and disaccharides are high-molecular carbohydrate structures, formed of monosaccharide units joined together by glycosidic bonds.

The vegetative saccharides of the present invention may be the parts of the plants (cellulose and hemicelluloses of wood, straw and other vegetative substances) or the extracts from the plants (cellulose from sulphite wood chips cook, sucrose juice from sugar beet and others).

The vegetative saccharides (mainly polysaccharides) and their compounds are traditionally used as the main ingredients for the compost, producing quite effective fertilizers for soil. The main disadvantage in this method is the length of time of the compost production: from several months to two years.

It is known a method of using molasses as a fertilizer. The sucrose, fructose and glucose are a significant part of molasses which feeds soil microorganisms and promote soil improvement. The disadvantage in that method is: that the molasses is not a bio-stimulant and fertilizer of rapid action. The sucrose, fructose and glucose of the molasses, for assimilation by plants, must be first converted to the organic acids by soil microorganisms.

The closest to the presented invention is the patented method of molasses treatment in an acid environment, and subsequently in an alkali environment at temperature higher than ambient (AU Patent 2005244022). This method relates to the concrete and cement additives production. The main disadvantage in this method is that the method does not provide for the extraction of the toxic for soil formations such as furfural, furans, formic acid etcetera, which are produced in the process of molasses treatment. Also this method does not make provision for mixing of molasses in the process of treatment. That makes it impossible to fabricate the product at the claimed conditions. In particular, the oxidation of monosaccharides and conversion of them to saccharinic acids in alkali environment needs oxidizing agent, which is not claimed in the patent. The oxidizing agent can be oxygen of air which is entrained into molasses in the mixing process. But the mixing is not claimed in the patent. Also, the oxygen dilution in molasses vastly drops at increased temperature and atmospheric or negative pressure, making the oxidation process dramatically slow without mixing.

SUMMARY

The general idea of the suggested method is the conversion of the vegetative saccharides and their compounds to the effective bio-stimulant, fertilizer, soil conditioner and wind soil erosion suppressant. The method includes the extraction of the soil toxic formations produced in the process of the vegetative saccharides conversion.

The suggested method comprises the steps of treating the vegetative saccharides and their compounds (such as saw dust, sucrose juice from sugar cane and others), in a series, in acid and alkali environments at temperature higher than ambient, providing the production of mainly carbonic acids and other substances which are beneficial for soil.

The forced extraction of the toxic soil formations (such as furfural, formic acid and others) is realized by air or steam, or common by air and steam treatment of the cooking product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to the hydrolytic treatment of vegetative saccharides and their compounds in an acid environment at temperature higher than ambient with the forced extraction of the toxic soil formations, providing in that way, also, a high yield of the beneficial for soil bio-stimulating substances. The second stage of saccharides and their compounds treatment in an alkali environment at temperature higher than ambient as well makes provision for the forced extraction of the toxic soil formations, increasing the soil helpful compounds content. The alkali stage also includes the air access into the “cooking product” for the oxidation of monosaccharides and conversion them to saccharinic acids.

The forced extraction of the toxic soil formations is realized by air or steam, or in common by air and steam treatment of the cooking product. The air treatment means the air is forcedly passed through the cooking product by blowing, bubbling or mechanical mixing with air entrainment and its release. The steam treatment means the hot steam is forcedly passed through the cooking product by blowing. The air and steam treatment is also the process of the cooking product mixing. The air or/and steam treatment of vegetative saccharides and their compounds takes place over the all time of the technological process or its part.

The acid and alkali hydrolysis (conversion) of vegetative saccharides and their compounds is realized at temperature 40-250° C. at ambient, positive and negative pressure. For the acid hydrolysis of the vegetative saccharides and their compounds, the concentrated and diluted organic and inorganic acids are used. The pH of the acid environment is reduced up to 0.1. For the alkali hydrolysis of the vegetative saccharides and their compounds, the concentrated and diluted organic and inorganic alkalis are used. The pH of the alkali environment is increased up to 14.0. The efficiency of the acid and alkali processes can be increased by using a catalyst. The solids content of the vegetative saccharides and their compounds varies from 0.5% to 95.0%. The time of the acid and alkali treatment can be from 1 min to 48 hours. At the end of the cook, the pH of the new formations of the vegetative saccharides and their compounds can be optimized to the necessary value.

In the process of acid cook of vegetative saccharides and their compounds, the polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and disaccharides are invented to monodisaccharides: hexoses and pentoses. A part of the hexoses and pentoses is converted to humins, furfural, furans, levulinic, formic and aldonic acids. Levulinic acid and humans are known as the effective bio-stimulants plant growing, while furfural, furans and formic acid are toxic for soil. A special air or/and steam treatment or just normal mixing with air entraining, on this acid stage, provides the forced extraction of the furfural, furans and formic acid. This extraction additionally accelerates the chemical reactions of the levulinic acid production. The entrained air (oxygen) increases the oxidizing of hexoses and as a result increases the levulinic acid yield. Also the forced extraction of the furfural prevents its polymerization with the humins, providing the better solubility of the humins at the next stage of the alkali treatment. In addition, mixing of the cook provides the uniform running of chemical reactions in the system.

In the process of the further alkali cook, the rest of monosaccharides (hexoses and pentoses) are converted to saccharinic acids and their salts. Levulinic and aldonic acids are neutralized to their salts. The unpolymerized with furfural humins are partially oxidised and converted to humic acids and their salts, which are more active as bio-stimulants than humins. A special air or/and steam treatment or just normal mixing with air entraining provides the forced extraction of the soil toxic furfuryl alcohol which can be produced from the residuary furfural (from acid stage) in alkali environment.

Thus, the final product is purified from the toxic soil formations and contains the recognized bio-stimilants for plant growing -like levulinic and humic acid salts and humins. They maintain soil stability and enhance the soil water-holding capacity, they also function as a cation exchange system, and improve soil content while generally improving soil fertility. Also the cooked product contains other carbonic acid salts: saccharinic and aldonioc acid salts, which feed (as fertilizer) and can stimulate (as bio-stimulant) plant root development. The hydroscopic properties of the carbonic acid salts of the new product (as soil conditioner) provide the increased water sorption and water retention of soil. The salts of carbonic acids also energize the biological life of the soil and stimulate the production of beneficial bacteria. The salts of saccharinic acids have the binding properties. By spraying the new product solution on top of soil, a soil layer is formed by binding soil particles together protecting soil against wind erosion. 

1. A method of treating vegetative polysaccharides and their compounds to provide hydrolysates suitable for use as bio-stimulants, fertilizers, soil conditioners and wind soil erosion suppressants, the method comprises the steps of treating the vegetative polysaccharides and their compounds, in a series, in acid and alkali environments at temperature higher than ambient with the forced extraction of the toxic soil formations and the cooking product mixing.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acid environment comprises inorganic and organic acids for acidification of the vegetative polysaccharides and their compounds up to a pH of about 0.1.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the alkali environment comprises inorganic and organic alkalis for alkalization of the vegetative saccharides and their compounds up to a pH of about 14.0.
 4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the temperature of the acid and alkali treatment is about 40 to 250° C. at one or a combination of ambient, positive and negative pressure.
 5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein catalysts comprising catalysts of acid and alkali hydrolysis are used in the treatment.
 6. A method as claimed in claims 1 to 5 wherein the forced extraction of the toxic soil formations comprises the air and/or steam treatment of the vegetative saccharides and their compounds over the time of the technological process or its part.
 7. A method as claimed in claims 1 to 6 wherein the vegetative saccharides and their compounds mixing takes place over the time of the technological process or its part.
 8. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein a solids content of the vegetative polysaccharides and their compounds comprises about 0.5% to about 95.0%.
 9. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 further comprising the steps of: performing the acid treatment for a time period in the range of about 1 minutes to about 48 hours; performing the alkali treatment for a time period in the range of about 1 minutes to about 48 hours.
 10. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 further comprising the steps of: after both the acid and alkali treatment, adjusting the pH of the vegetative saccharides and their compounds to a predetermined value using inorganic and organic acids and alkalis.
 11. Hydrolysates suitable for use as bio-stimulants, fertilizers, soil conditioners and wind soil erosion suppressants produced in accordance with the method as claimed in any one claims 1 to
 10. 12. Apparatus for treating vegetative polysaccharides and their compounds to provide hydrolysates suitable for use as bio-stimulants, fertilizers, soil conditioners and wind soil erosion suppressants wherein said apparatus is adapted to perform the method as claims 1 to
 10. 13. A method substantially as described herein.
 14. Hydrolysates substantially as described herein. 